


Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?

by ShinigamiMailJeevas



Category: Death Note
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Crime, Deception, Explosions, Falling In Love, Gunshot Wounds, Interviews for TV shows, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Romance, Sexual Content, Tourture, abductions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-02 21:37:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4074727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShinigamiMailJeevas/pseuds/ShinigamiMailJeevas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With a brief closing of his eyes, Matt recalled the events that led to him meeting the only person he had ever loved, married, and nearly been destroyed by.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: to start off with .0. means the start of a flashback and .00. Means the flashback has ended. If things become too confusing let me know and I will put the "flashback"s back in, ok? This chapter only has one of them but they increase later on, and you will see why ;)
> 
> Flashbacks will also be centered.

I

He waited silently as the lights were adjusted, the sound checks and whatever else they needed to do was completed before they started. He had actually been through _makeup_. Even though they let him wear what he usually did, apparently they felt the need to spruce him up. As if a little touch up here and there would make a difference to their viewers who would either be too fascinated by his story or at least by the stripes and goggles he wore. He supposed in the whole scheme of things, it really did not matter. It was a passing thought. And when the media socialite Kiyomi Takada finally sat down in front of him―a shark's cunning hidden behind a thinly veiled and very much forced smile―he knew it was time to begin. To tell whomever would watch this just how his life had gone from days on end of gaming in the dark, eating only noodle cups, to spiraling completely out of control.

From what he gathered, she would be asking him questions to prompt his story, though her voice may not even appear in the show, much less her person. She was a journalist and would end up scripting this―and many other―story into a new book and online feature for the show. Something about keeping up with the times.

"Mail-"

He winced. His given name was special, one that had only ever sounded meaningful out of one person's lips. It was painful to hear her say it.

"I'm sorry, Matt," at least she noticed, "please tell us how everything began. How did you meet him? And most importantly, who he is." She smiled encouragingly at him, eager to get this going. With a brief closing of his eyes, Matt recalled the events that led to him meeting the only person he had ever loved, married, and nearly been destroyed by.

"It had been a hot day in my home city of Los Angeles when I met Mello…"

**.0.**

Matt groaned as he opened his door. It was like being slapped in the face; it was so disgustingly hot out, and if not for the fact he absolutely _had_ to get something, he would have slammed the door shut again. As it was, the new release of the Kingdom Hearts saga was out as well as COD, so there was no way he was missing his pre-orders. He had even called to make certain they were still there. You know how grabby those losers who forgot about the games until the last second could be…

The weather was not conductive to his attire: long sleeved shirt with black and red stripes, dark jeans, combat boots, and orange goggles. It was not the smartest thing to wear, but he burned easily and was also not going to compromise his personal taste simply because he lived in Hell.

Walking briskly down the sidewalk, he tried to make the trip a short one. He would have loved to take the Camaro out with some air conditioning, but traffic was a bitch at this time. He never would have made it back in time to actually play anything before dark.

The streets were a hodgepodge of tourists and locals, some milling about and others in a rush like he was. It was not a long walk by any means, yet he was still red-faced and a little sweaty by the time he got to the shop. He probably looked like he had run all the way there. Oh well.

He told the cashier his name and waited for his purchases. "You are in luck, last copies here," the cashier―with her bubblegum pink hair―told him as she rang the two games up and took his money. There would have been Hell to pay had they not been there. He had been waiting _months_.

"Thanks," he muttered and regretfully stepped back into weather that was only fit for the truly damned. Fuck if he knew why he still lived there.

The walk back to the apartment dragged on and on like one of those endless hallways you can see the end of but can never quite get to. By the time he spotted the familiar building, he was ready to swear off going outside ever again. At least until he ran out of cigarettes.

Once inside the building he headed for 103, or he attempted to. He watched―half amused―as a blond cursed loudly and threw something at the wall. There was loud muttering about useless landlords and keys. A quick glance told Matt that it was the blond's apartment key that had been thrown. It was broken in half. Matt was willing to bet the other half was either in the lock or had broken off beforehand. The place wasn't half bad to live in, but the maintenance was a joke and the room's keys predated ancient times. They, and most of the spares, snapped all the time. The only way to avoid it was to have your own set made. However, most new residents came in without this knowledge and had to learn the hard way.

The blond had to have just moved in, as no one had been in 102 for weeks.

Matt glanced at the plastic bag clenched in his fist and back to the blond. He was itching to get into the games, yet he knew how much of a hassle those damn locks were―he'd had to break into his own place more than once. "Fuck me," he muttered and walked over.

"I see you are having trouble," his gaze turned from the blond to the door that he crouched by. The hole was clear of the other key half. "Usually you can use a quarter or a bobby pin to turn the lock if it gets stuck, but your best bet is buying a new set." Matt pulled some change from his pocket and didn't think twice about using it to pick the stranger's lock for him. The door popped open with ease after a few seconds of fiddling. Matt turned to see the stranger smiling at him and only then thought of the brilliancy of his actions. Most people would not be comforted in someone knowing how to break into their apartment.

"How many times has this happened to you?" The blond's anger seemed to have dimmed to just the slightest tightening around his eyes.

"More than I would like to admit. I'm Matt by the way. I live next door in 103." Matt was not a touchy feely person, but when the stranger held out his hand to shake, Matt felt compelled to do the same.

"My name's Mello. It's good to meet you." Charm oozed off of Mello in waves, and it was a little unsettling to Matt, but by the time he registered it, he was already inside Mello's apartment with the promise of a few drinks as a thanks.

**.00.**

"So Mello was a smooth talker?" Takada sat forward, hands folded to the side as she stared.

"Oh yes, with a few words he could both put you at ease and fluster you at the same time. He seemed really genuine too. The perfect kind of stranger you would want to accidentally meet." It was a little harder to talk about those times than Matt had thought it would be. The beginning, when he barely knew Mello and knew nothing of how it would end up.

"Tell us more. How did it happen? I mean―how did you fall in love with him?"

**.0.**

The doorbell rang, and Matt poked his tongue out. "Door's open," there was no way he was pausing the middle of a battle. His fingers crushed the buttons, and his torso twisted with each attack―because it so totally made the attack better. He did not look away as someone came to stand behind him or even as something smelling of Chinese food was dangled beside him.

"Just a sec," he was so close. Just a quarter health bar left, and he had beaten this boss. "Almost...come on―Yes!" He smirked widely as the boss faded into a black smoke. He saved the game after the cut scene. When he finally looked over at Mello, he had set up the coffee table with food and was smiling softly at him.

"You are such a geek," Mello told him, yet it was said with fondness. Mello was not into games like he was, or technology for that matter. Mello actually failed at both. At the same time, however, he was very generous with allowing Matt to spend some of their time together utilizing both. Matt appreciated it in times like this.

"Thanks for waiting, Mello," he flashed a smile and sat beside Mello on the couch. At least once a week, they had dinner in one of their apartments and usually a few drinks with a movie. Matt often worked from home with special approval from the company he was affiliated with, and Mello―well, Matt had no idea what he did, but he was sometimes gone for days at a time. He was never bothered enough to ask, and Mello never said.

"Matt, pass me the curry chicken?"

Matt grabbed the only unopened container and, with greasy fingers, handed it over to Mello. Electricity jolted his body as their fingers brushed, and he felt a slight tugging at his groin. _What. The. Fuck. Was. That?_

Matt swallowed hard. There really was no rationalizing that reaction, was there? He could say it was nerves. A freak accident. But really, it wasn't.

It was around then that Matt began to wonder if maybe there was something more than just friendship lingering underneath the surface. And the thought was more than a little terrifying.

He glanced at Mello from the corner of his eye, watching him gracefully use a pair of disposable chopsticks to pick at his food.  
At the same time...the thought was thrilling.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suggested Listening: Shadow Preachers by Zella Day

II

"That was really when it started. I began to notice him differently after that, all the little things he did, gestures and quirks. In retrospect, it was so easy to fall for him."

  
**.0.**

He watched as Mello innocently sat on the plush loveseat across from him, chocolate dangling by the corner of his mouth as he lost himself in some investigative show. The calculating expression was at odds with the childish quality of the confection; it was endearing. "It wasn't the husband. Don't they pay attention to the evidence at all? The hair follicles collected were not the right color for starters and-"

Matt laughed. He could not help himself. 

"What?" Mello had pulled the chocolate free so his voice was no longer muffled, and in fact sounded quite indignant. 

"Sorry, it's just amusing to see you pick apart the show and always be right. Why even watch it if you know the outcome?" And by always right, Matt meant it. Mello listened to every piece of information given and was able to make connections that led to the real killer in the first ten minutes of the show. He was brilliant...and it was kind of sexy if Matt let his thoughts deteriorate that far.

"Self satisfaction." Mello grinned suddenly and Matt had no doubt it was the truth.

"Are you a detective?" He had to ask. He expected a snort or an incredulous look, not at all what he received. It was a kind of sad smile. It was longing. It was regret.

"No, but I wish I was." Mello took a bite of chocolate, not even a snap, a full on teeth marking bite as if to pacify himself from saying more. Then there was the slight nervous tapping of his fingers on the couch. Whatever Mello was not saying, it bothered him greatly.

"If you want it, then go after it. You are so damn intelligent it's scary at times. I know you have the drive for it, so why not?" he knew he should have let it drop and not press, but if it was really something Mello wanted, then Matt wanted him to go for it.

"My current job won't allow for it," Mello's expression softened when he noticed the frown Matt had. "It's ok, Matt, really it is. Not everything we want is in grasp even if we have the tools to get it." With those enigmatic words, he turned off the television and claimed it was time they got out of the apartment for a change.

As Mello shrugged on his leather jacket, he tapped his foot as though it was taking too long for his liking. It was another thing Mello did that recently caught Matt's attention. It was as if Mello's mind raced too fast for his body to keep up and he became impatient with himself. It should not have been cute, but it was.

"Would you quit staring at me like I'm making a fool of myself? Get off your lazy ass and get ready," Mello glared at him, hand on his hip. Every little thing he did, Matt noticed. And usually at the wrong times. 

"Alright, alright just let me get my shoes." Whatever Mello had in mind, Matt knew he would enjoy. If for no other reason than because he was in his company. Tugging on his boots, Matt watched as Mello brushed his hair behind an ear only for it to fall back into his face. He shook his head and snatched his keys from the table. "Ok boss, where to?"

"Anywhere, just drive." Mello stalked from the room with unexpected anger following him. Matt had no way of knowing at that time, but a single word in his sentence had set the blond on edge. 

**.00.**  


"It seems the two of you spent quite a lot of time together—even through all the secrets he kept, I might add." Takada leaned back, her legs crossed polity, and surveyed him. He hated her.

"You cannot fully understand his charm, his personality without having met him and been a part of his life. You were drawn to him, even without knowing why. He was quite simply—irresistible." Matt knew he sounded quite love sick, perhaps as if he was making Mello out to be more of a saint then he was. But without that other part of his life―his work―he really was. No one would ever understand. They would watch this and pity him for falling in love with the wrong person, ask how he could have possibly seen the signs? They knew nothing. 

Mello was everything to him.

  
**.0.**

Matt yawned with a stretch, a small moan escaping him as his vertebrae popped back into place. That had been the best sleep he'd gotten in a long while. It might have been due to the fact that Mello had not allowed him to game into the midnight hours. Or it might not. 

Speaking of the blond, Matt tiptoed into his living room where Mello was asleep on the couch. For some reason, Mello had insisted on staying over the night before. Matt really had no problem with it, but the look in Mello's eyes as he "asked" had been a little scary, almost frantic. The thought that Mello might be in trouble had crossed his mind, yet the blond had calmed down after the promise of his couch.

Shaking off the odd feeling the memory had given him, he peered over the edge of the couch. He instantly lit up, an ear splitting smile appearing on his face. Mello was curled underneath his Mario blanket―something Mello had scoffed at Matt for owning―it raising and falling with ever deep easy breath. Stray strands of hair brushed Mello's cheeks, and though Matt itched to move them, to feel the spun silk between his fingers, he did not dare. Mello needed sleep as much as he did.

For a while, he simply leaned against the back of the couch and watched him. Eventually, he knew he would get caught and moved to start the coffee only for Mello to shift under the blanket with a soft sigh.

"Morning Mello," he said as the blond's sleepy eyes fluttered open. The smile that greeted him made his stomach flip. Beautiful was the only word for it. Matt knew then that he could easily get used to starting the morning with Mello by his side.

**.00.**  


"That's nice...but how did the two of you get together?"

Matt actually smirked. She would probably regret asking that.

  
**.0.**

"Oh god, Mello!" he shuddered at the fingers on his cock, pumping him, squeezing him and bringing him so damn close to release. It felt so good. His breath hit the shower's sliding glass door and fogged it up. He thrust into that warms wet hand, tilting his head back to moan. 

Matt was startled when the glass was suddenly pushed open and Mello stood before him. He had been caught. Jerking off and moaning Mello's name. That was it. Mello was going to call him disgusting and-

Mello slammed him against the tile wall and kissed him―it was all teeth and tongue and desire. Mello slapped Matt's hand away from his cock, and Matt had no idea what to expect. The teasing fingers caressing him was definitely not it, even with Mello biting at his lips. Those eyes, those icy pitfalls, dared him, urged him to call his name.

And Matt did as he was brought to oblivion and back, spilling himself all over Mello as those talented fingers jerked him off.

"Fuck, I have wanted to do that for so long," Mello murmured against his lips. 

"Get me off in the shower?" Matt asked, his mind still in a daze. Mello was in the shower with him. Hand still stroking his now flaccid cock and was smiling at him. Short circuit. Brain death. Oh fuck did Mello really do that? 

"No, well I mean yes, but I meant kiss you." Mello breached the gap and though the water was starting to run cold, the kiss warmed Matt. He tangled his fingers in the soaked blond hair and whined. He had slipped in the shower and hit his head, right? Yet the nails digging into his cock stated otherwise. 

"I am never letting you go now," clothing drenched and clinging like a second skin to every contour, Mello looked absolutely sinful. Grin like the devil as he knelt before him and parted his lips. Matt had no idea if Mello meant that comment about his cock or him in general, but as that mouth engulfed him it was the last thing on his mind.

**.00.**  


Takada was actually blushing. "I um...I had not expected that," she stammered. Matt felt a little accomplished as she was not one to fluster easily.

"That's how we got together. It's not a traditional 'I like you, will you date me' but Mello had never been traditional. I liked his way better, cuts out all the awkwardness."

"I see." She coughed polity, her cheeks tinged with pink. He gave her a moment to compose herself. It was a good thing the interview was not live. 

He thought back to other aspects of their relationship. Sure, there was a lot of sex involved―how could there not be with Mello as he was?―but that wasn't what connected them. As sappy as it was, it was the emotions that made everything better.

  
**.0.**

He arched against Mello, practically screaming his name as his orgasm ripped through him. Mello twisted him to the side and pushed his legs out of the way, holding them in place with one hand. The new angle had Matt hard again, fingers twisted in the quilt as Mello thrust deeper into him.

"Mello, fuck yes right there!" each motion brought Mello's cock straight against his sweet spot, and he could do nothing more than go along for the ride. His entire body trembled with pleasure, and the sounds Mello made above him were sent right to his cock.

"Matty, come for me," Mello leaned down as far as he could in a stretch to kiss him. A hand snaked its way over his legs and took hold of his cock, and if Matt had not been in such mind blowing pleasure, he might have been ashamed that only a few quick strokes had him spilling all over the quilt and Mello's fingers.

Mello bit his shoulder, muffling a scream as he followed, Matt's pleasure making it too tight and fucking good to hold on. He continued rocking into Matt until his strength gave out and he was completely and utterly spent. They both moaned as he pulled out and flopped to the side.

"Mello...fucking Hell."

Mello grinned at him, "I know." 

Matt let his eyes slip shut as fingers messed with his hair. It was a secret pleasure that Mello had found out about and seemed to have no problem indulging. His soft touches sent shivers down Matt's spine and calmed his sore body. It was relaxing. He felt lips against his own and cracked his eyes open to view his lover. "Love you, Matty."

"I know you do," he wrapped an arm around Mello to pull him closer now that they were cooled off. A shower could wait a few more minutes. "I love you too," he murmured into another kiss. 

"Matt, move in with me?" 

With Mello so close to him, warm and comfortable, beautiful and most definitely sexy, there was no way he could say no. And he did not want to. "After the shower at least?"

Mello laughed loudly, shaking his head. "Only you would say that. God, don't ever change, Matty."

**.00.**  


"We lived in his apartment for close to eight months after we got together," Matt responded to another question thrown out to him, probably to give everyone a chance to forget the last one.

"I am almost hesitant to ask, but how did he propose to you?" Takada had composed herself, though appeared to be bracing for another sex riddled anecdote. 

Even though it was hard to share his memories with everyone, this one made him smile. This one he held dear.

  
**.0.**

Matt had gotten back from the auto-repair shop—and ok, he had stopped to pick up lunch for himself and Mello too—to find Mello pacing in the kitchen like a caged animal. Only he was not angry. The expression and mannerisms were all wrong for that. 

"Are you alright?" He set the food on the small round kitchen table and glanced over.

"Matt, I want to ask you something." Mello bit his lip. He was nervous. Mello was never nervous. Matt immediately perked up to listen; it was something important. His lover was never so…meek.

"I―Well that is...Oh fuck it! Will you marry me?" Mello's words stuck together and crumbled under his anger before they finally tumbled out in a rush. It was hardly romantic, but the sentiment was there. Yet all Matt could think was 'Oh my god. Oh. My. God.'

"Yes." He was freaking out, yet there was never any doubt that he wanted it.

Mello lit up with such an extraordinary smile that it took Matt's breath away even before he was being kissed senseless and held close with such a grip Matt knew he would _never_ get away.

"I love you, Matty, my gorgeous sexy other half," Mello pulled a beautiful onyx band into view, the sides etched with silver Celtic knots. He let Mello slide it over his finger, just as he let Mello make love to him against the kitchen counter afterwards.

If only that had been the happy ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, there is a nice little DN forum community that you might like to visit. If anyone has read the "It Matters" series, loves death note, or was previously affiliated with MangaBullet feel free to drop a line :)
> 
>  
> 
> [Forum is Here](http://mrsjeevas.joharrington.co.uk/forum/index.php?sid=dcd40d8a155e5fad5eb82c8b09a7f514)
> 
> or if you just feel like reading Mrs-J's (aka Matilda) work, or the growing work by other people, in the Library go [HERE](http://www.mrsjeevas.joharrington.co.uk/htr/library/)


	3. part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Flashbacks are centered (also preceded by .0. )  
> .  
> Suggested Listening: This is gonna Hurt by Hoobastank  
> Hiding by Florence + the Machine

  
**III  
.**

**.0.**

 

Blue eyes cracked open as he stroked the smooth skin of Mello's lower back. He had come to know those eyes so well. "Don't stop," Mello murmured sleepily and leaned closer. He smiled at the lazy attitude yet had no complaints about continuing. He had not meant to wake Mello, though now that he was awake, Matt let his soft touches turn deeper. He felt the smile spread against his skin before Mello even looked up from laying on him. 

"Just can't get enough of me, can you, my lovely house wife?" Mello's grin was sly.

"I'm not the housewife," Matt scoffed as he tugged lightly on the blond hair turned gold by the sunlight peaking in through the window. The night before they had gotten married, and in their excitement they had forgotten to close the curtains in the hotel room. 

Matt flexed his fingers so that Mello could feel the onyx band glide over his skin as he caressed him. Matt was kissed, hair tugged back unexpectedly as Mello straddled him. He moaned at the wonderful friction Mello created, rubbing against him. This would never get old, he knew that for certain the first time they had touched, and he knew it even more so now. 

"You're mine now," Mello whispered against his lips as he pinned the arm with the wedding band above Matt's head. 

"Always―oh fuck yes!" Matt shuddered with eyes shut tight as Mello lowered himself down, riding his cock hard and fast. He let Mello dominate him even in the position they were currently in. It felt too fucking good to even want to fight, and perhaps that was the danger of it; Mello was too good. He moaned out a 'fuck I love you' as Mello screamed his name, cumming all over them and tugging Matt along with him. Mello continued to move above him, head tossed back with eyelashes fluttering and nails digging into his thighs. He was sin incarnate. And he was all Matt's.

"Oh, Matty." Mello shuddered around him and only stopped when his cell phone rang loudly from his pants across the room. "Just ignore it-" Matt let the comment drop as Mello was off of him and had the damn thing pressed to his ear seconds later. The look on Mello's face was pure hatred. Something Matt had _never_ seen before with him.

"I'm busy. Fuck off and don't call back." Mello tossed the phone onto the chair and was satisfied it was closed when a soft click was heard. He sauntered back over to Matt, letting his hips sway criminally. Matt let his husband crawl onto the bed before grabbing his hips and flipping him onto his back. He had no idea what the phone call was about or why Mello had looked so angry, so he let the incident drift to the back of his mind. After all, he had the blond right where he wanted him. Underneath him. And he would stay there until they actually graced the world for the day.

Kissing his way down Mello's chest, he heard the low moan that was released and felt as Mello arched up, wanting more. And more he would get.

**.00.**  


"That was the first sign that something odd was going on, but it would be weeks before I really let myself notice it. Who honestly wants to think that there might be something happening behind their back?"

Takada nodded at him as if actually listening, and maybe she was despite knowing the story. "It must have been hard for you," her eyes were actually a little softer as she said this. Surprisingly, it was not fake.

"It was," Matt replied quietly. 

"What kind of things were going through your head in the beginning?" Takada asked as gently as she could. 

Matt sighed softly as he recalled the early weeks of his and Mello's marriage.

  
**.0.**

 

Before they had even gotten into a relationship and long before they had tied the knot, Matt had known Mello's job took him away for long hours to days, yet he still missed him when he was away. It was also strange that Mello would not even greet him until he had stripped himself bare and taken a shower. Sometimes rushing into the bathroom so quick Matt had not even gotten a change to glimpse him. It got worse as the weeks went on, yet anytime he thought about broaching the subject, he would take one look at Mello's tired features and shoved it away for another time that he knew would not come. 

He still had no idea what Mello did as a job or how he made enough money for them to live comfortably had Matt not been working too. It was not something he could bring up. It was a little frustrating not to be privy to every normal aspect of Mello's life, a life they now shared. Mello knew everything about him, yet limited what he gave out about himself. 

"Matt, will you quit staring at me like that? It's a little like being dissected." Mello eyed him wearily as though expecting this to go somewhere he hadn't the energy to deal with at the present moment. Matt bit his tongue again and shook his head. He hated that he kept those thoughts to himself. He hated that Mello made him feel like he couldn't ask. 

Instead of replying, Matt simply looked back at the screen of his DS where the Game Over stared back at him. He had forgotten to press pause. Or apparently save, so all of his progress was lost. Why did that seem to echo for his real life too? That he was two levels up from start and could not figure out how it had all gone so wrong…

Arms were suddenly draped over his shoulder, and a warm cheek pressed against him. "Love you, Matt." His voice was soft, soothing, and Matt found his irritation and slight dread ebbing away. It was hard to be at odds with Mello when he was like this. He relaxed against the blond, even kissing him before he let him pull away. He was not expecting Mello to sit beside him, yet there he was, curling up beside him with a book, allowing him to continue playing his DS. 

Reaching out, he pulled the blond closer and stabilized the DS on his knee so he could play one handed. With Mello leaning fully against him, he felt at ease. Things were alright delete no matter what Mello did for a living Matt was alright not knowing so long as they could always have moments like this.

**.00.**  


"I decided to put it out of mind as best as I could. I think anyone who loves their spouse as much as I did Mello would too." Matt shifted in his seat. He was growing uncomfortable the longer he sat there. It had little to do with the seating. This was it. He was at the part that really started it all; that downward spiral. In retrospect, he had been so damn wrong. And so had Mello for not telling him.

  
**.0.**

He felt the bed shift and rolled over. His blurry eyes were greeted by his husband's back, naked for view. Matt stared for a long moment, even as the muscles and skin moved as the blond stretched, at the new marks that flawed him. Without thinking, he brought a hand up to touch. Mello jumped up with a small hiss. "Sorry," Matt murmured.

"I didn't even realize you were awake. You scared the Hell out of me." Mello's eyes were narrowed as he crossed his arms.

"I said sorry. Come here?" Matt patted the vacated space beside him, and Mello did not hesitate to prop a knee back on the bed and lean over. Matt kissed him softly at first, hand going behind Mello's neck to pull him closer. Only when Mello was above him did he let things progress to how they both wanted it. A little rough.

There was one thought, however, that he could not get out of his head. Those marks on Mello's back―that looked suspiciously like scratches―were not from him. Yet even with that thought, he could not bring himself to really wonder where Mello had gotten them.

**.00.**  


Takada appeared a little uncomfortable as though being told a part of the story she had not realized was there. Most people would make the seemingly obvious connection too: that Mello was cheating on him.

  
**.0.**

Matt had easily been able to dismiss the random scratches as they had appeared after Mello had been gone at work for a few days. The next set, however, was accompanied by bruises. He watched Mello carefully after he had gotten out of the shower, towel hung low on his hips. There was an angry purple bruise on his hip bone―Mello was even favoring that side of his body a little―with a short deep cut on his thigh. A few more smaller scratches marred his cheek and neck.

"Where did you get those?" He could not help but ask.

"Oh these?" Mello glanced up from toweling his hair dry, as if the marks meant nothing. "Accident at work." Mello froze as if realizing he had admitted too much with those three words. And maybe he had. 

"What the Hell kind of job gives you all of that?"

"What is your problem all of a sudden? You never minded before." Mello was annoyed now, he could easily see it. He was also defensive. Just what was going on?

"You never had cuts and bruises all the time before." He couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut either. 

"I always had scratches. You just never noticed," Mello said softly, "I got promoted. So things are a bit rougher than before, that's all." Mello stared at him with an edge in his eyes as if daring him to question further. Daring him to cause a fight so he could end the conversation one way or another. Matt wasn't going to let him. He nodded and backed off. What could Mello be doing that was giving him wounds? Granted, they were not serious. Not yet. If they had escalated from him not noticing to large bruises and scratches, what was next? Matt did not even want to think of it.

There was another thought in his mind. One that ever so coyly seeped closer to the front of his thoughts. Could Mello be lying about the job...? Matt shook his head as if to scatter his thoughts. No. There was no way Mello would do that to him. 

He glanced up to see Mello cutting up an apple, frowning. It was not a guilty look. Almost sad instead. Mello was not cheating. Matt was certain... he was. So he walked over and hugged his husband close, not caring that a knife was trapped between them. Mello was stiff for a moment before wrapping his arms around him. There was a heavy sigh and a whisper of his name as a kiss was planted on his neck. 

The knife clattered to the table and sticky fingers were suddenly undoing his belt. His sex twitched long before it was even touched. Mello simply had that effect on him. He was lifted onto the table where Mello dragged his jeans and boxers off to toss on the floor. He was exposed in front of Mello, and the heat rose to his face. It was not a blush.

"What to do with you, Matty?" Mello grinned as he circled the table. Matt heard clothing being removed, and as Mello returned to view, he was shirtless with only the front of his jeans undone. The thought of being taken with the blond still half-clothed excited him more than it should have. 

He bent his knees invitingly, and that was all Mello needed to descend on him. He was grabbed by his hips and pulled halfway off the table as Mello thrust in. Matt's head smacked against the table as he screamed. Mello's hand went over his mouth, leaning in to whisper 'the neighbors are home'. He bit the underside of Mello's middle finger hard until he had adjusted enough that it wasn't painful. Mello still continued to move slow, going for short, deep thrusts over speed. It had Matt seeing spots.

His legs were over Mello's shoulders, and they were pressed as close as their bodies and position would allow. It had never been this rough, yet slow, as now. It was driving Matt insane. "Oh God!" he arched his back, entire body seizing with pleasure. 

Mello fisted his hair, yanking it back to expose Matt's neck so he could bite him. The sharp prick of teeth on his heated skin was too much. He choked out Mello's name, holding onto him tightly as he came. It was intense, completely mind blowing.

Only when he came back to his senses―body still a shivering, twitching mess―did he realize Mello had stilled above him and had filled him. "The sounds you make, Matty, drive me fucking crazy." Mello kissed him softly, brushing his hair back as he massaged his scalp. It did a lot to calm his overstimulated body. He moaned softly and let his legs drop, dangling from the table's edge. 

He was wrong. He knew he was. There was no way Mello could make love to him, not even bothering to hide the scratches on his body he knew were there. What kind of a person could cheat then go home to their husband and have sex? Mello wasn't like that.

"I love you," he whispered between kisses. He felt the smile against his lips and was placated.

**.00.**  



	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggested Listening: Black Parade – Globus  
>  Seven Devils – Florence + the Machine  
>  Long & Lost by Florence + the Machine

  
**-.0.-**

Matt stared oddly at the small black safe that had been installed while he was out. Mello had not mentioned buying one, never mind even _needing_ one. What was stranger was that it was the expensive kind that required not only a palm print, but a combination as well. It was probably for his personal documents, or so Matt told himself until Mello had gotten out of the shower. 

"Hey Mel, what is the safe for? I did not even know you were getting it." In the meantime, he had made them each a cup of hot chocolate, Mello's with an extra syrup. The blond took the mug gratefully and headed off to the living room. 

"It's just for stuff I can't afford to have get destroyed, birth certificate and the like. You don't need to worry about it as you won't be using it." Mello waved him off and settled on the couch with a sigh. He had been gone for a week. 

The comment stung. He wasn't allowed to use it? If it was really simple documents as Mello stated, would it not be practical for them to store theirs together as they were _married_? Something did not add up. He hated to think Mello was lying to him, but with all of the secrets already being kept, what was another one really? 

Matt chose the space on the opposite end of the couch by the armrest, the distance between them was vast. Mello looked up from his hot chocolate with surprise on his features, but Matt could not bring himself to care. 

**.00.**   


"The suspicion was there, and I could not get it out of my head. What was he hiding, and why? When I sat with him on the couch, it was there. When we ate, slept, made love―it was always there. But it was worse when Mello was gone because there were no distractions." Matt had not realized he was gripping the chair until his fingers started to ache. He hated recalling those weeks because of the feelings associated towards Mello were not what they should have been. Mello was at fault, but so was he for not pushing the issue more.

"I am sorry. It must have been hard for you." Takada's voice brought him back to the present. He nodded swiftly but did not say anything. "Was this around the time that you began to have those other feelings?" 

"Yes," Matt said quietly. He shivered upon remembering them. To this day he still looked over his shoulder.

  
**-.0.-**

There was something off that afternoon as Matt exited the apartment. He could not put a finger on it, but it followed him the entire way to Gamestop where he was going to pick up another pre-order. Once he stepped inside, it was as if a weight had been lifted. He shrugged it off, and after a minute of browsing other newly released items, he paid for his pre-order and left. 

Hardly two feet out of the store, the feeling was back. Almost like someone was watching him. With how crowded the streets were, someone damn well could have been. Yet it was not the kind of passing feeling you noticed and dismissed. This one lingered. It made him nervous.   
Matt tried to shake it off as he headed home. He had never felt that sensation before, so it probably had to do with watching _The Bourne Identity_ the night before. Paranoid stuff right there; it was probably just messing with him. Right? Yeah, that sounded good. 

With that in mind, he stopped for an iced chai tea latte and sipped it as he leisurely made his way home. He still had time before he and Mello were going out for a special dinner. 

Only, the apartment was empty when he stepped inside. Matt checked the time, and he had not been gone for more than forty minutes. Mello had been there when he had left.

With a frown, he flipped open his phone and noticed a missed call as well as a voice mail. Sighing, he called for the message. "Matt, I know you were looking forward to this, but something came up with work. We can do it another night-" something crackled loudly in the background and Matt thought he heard a voice. "I have to go. I love you."

Matt stared at a picture of the two of them, taken hardly three months before, that was stuck to the refrigerator across from him. "Yeah Mel, I love you too." He muttered and turned his phone off.

**.00.**   


"That was not the end of the situation, was it? Tell us what happened next, if you will," Takada was leaned forward and listening with most of her attention.

This was where things started to plateau. The countdown to events that could not be changed and never forgotten.

  
**.0.**

He was halfway to work when he felt it again. That weird prickle on the back of his neck and the suspicious sting of paranoia creeping up on him. This time he could not blame it on any movies. Glancing around under the cover of his goggles, Matt surveyed the other drivers he could see. A heavy man rehearsing lines to the left of him, a group of teens blasting shitty music to his right, and a bunch of old people in pricey cars in front of him. None of them seemed the kind of people to trip his senses. He sighed and turned his music up.

_'-now have we seen this light for the last time, and turn back the clock and we won't survive'_

He frowned deeply at his iPod. Way to help him calm down. "Fucker," he muttered and stepped on the gas a little too hard as the traffic finally broke. He was too stubborn to shut it off, and though he generally liked that song, some of the lyrics were grating on him now. 

Matt was still uncomfortable as he turned into his work's parking area, and after a moment's indecision, he turned around and exited the lot. There was something wrong. He knew it. He tested his theory by stopping at the tattoo parlor two turns down as if he could have mistakenly gone into the wrong lot. He rarely went into the main building of his work so should anyone be following him, hypothetically, they would have made the same detour he had. 

"Son of a bitch." He was shaking as the same black car with tinted windows rolled into a parking space across the walkway behind him, the one he had thought was too obvious earlier. Seriously, who drove such an conspicuous car? 

A man in a business suit stepped from the driver's side, yet from the way he glanced back inside for a moment, Matt doubted the car was empty. The man walked right past his car and into the health food store next to the tattoo parlor. Matt took a deep breath. He was making too much out of this. It was the product of too many crime centered video games and movies. His cell phone rang, and he jumped. He fumbled with shaking fingers and answered. It was a coworker wondering where he was; he was never late when called in.

"I, ah―my friend was in an accident, and I have to check on them. I might be really late, I don't know." With disgust, he realized his voice was a little off too. He needed to get a grip. If Mello saw him like this, he would have a good laugh and tell him to lay off the games. With one hand to steer, Matt backed out of the lot and onto the main road. He finally got off the phone with his coworker―who expressed their sympathy―and kept his phone on his lap. He could not help how his eyes kept darting to the rear-view mirror.

He took a few detours in getting home—the long way around—and he even parked the Camaro in a different spot. Mello was going to think he was out of his mind when he told him. There was no way he was keeping this secret, if only because he needed to be told he was being ridiculous.

Mello was still gone when he turned to lock the door. It made day three without him, and Matt was particularly feeling his absence now. He leaned against the door and lit a cigarette, taking a nice long drag. He held it in until his lungs burned. He only really smoked when he was stressed. 

Scrubbing a hand over his face Matt leaned away from the door. He shuffled over to his laptop and pulled up one of the most brain rotting games he could think of to numb his mind: The Sims. 

He never made it into work that day. 

**.00.**   


"Mello did not return that night, or the night after. I didn't leave the house at all in that time. I did all of my work from home, and thankfully, it was all things that could be fixed remotely or I might have had a problem." Matt hated that he had felt so damn alone. Mello never answered his cell, and he had no way of contacting him other than that. Matt had no idea where he was or if he was alright―which he had never really worried about before even with the scratches and bruises.

"So it is safe to say that you were rattled by this time?"

Matt nodded at Takada. He knew he must have seemed like such a paranoid fuck, yet he had never been so right in his life. If only he had not brushed it off and tried to deal with it. If only he had gone to stay with someone... if only Mello had been there.

  
**.0.**

Matt stretched with a loud yawn. He had just made his Sims get married and was working on getting Mello's abducted by the aliens. It might have been just a little bitterness on his part that had caused the action, but his Sim would get over it. 

He was playing Sims and earning his paycheck at the same time. It paid―literally—to multitask. With a click of the send button, he had remotely fixed a server issue at work caused by some idiot sending chain-mail on the work email that had an attached virus. Matt shook his head. He had no idea how some of those people had a job at all. His messenger pinged; it was from his boss thanking him for a quick response. Matt rolled his eyes. As if a simple thing like that would have tied him up.

He limped into the kitchen―his leg half asleep―to grab a can of coke when there were three harsh knocks on the door. Lightning went down his spine, and Matt froze, hand poised on the refrigerator door. Who the Hell would be knocking? They didn't really know anyone, and he had no family that he spoke to. More knocking jolted Matt back to reality, and he hesitantly made his way to the door. He thought of perhaps not answering, but the knocks were getting more persistent and last thing he wanted was the door getting kicked in.

Maybe it was just the police? Crazy homeless person in the wrong neighborhood? Yeah, sure. 

He glanced at the cracked peep-hole and wished he hadn't been too lazy to fix it―you couldn't see _anything_ out of it―and Mello to be home to deal with this. With a sigh, he unlocked the deadbolt.

"Can I help you?" he asked around the partially open door. The small chain lock was still intact, yet faced with the men in front of him, he wondered if it would snap like a toothpick if they so much as pushed on the door.

"Where's Mello?" one of the men asked gruffly. They were both in suits and looked very much like the criminals Matt had seen in his games or on the television. 

"How do you know Mello?" He instinctively asked. His thoughts raced. Where was the phone? Would Mello pick it up if he was able to get to it? Was there something he could use to defend himself?

"I don't like repeating myself." The door was kicked in all too suddenly, and Matt was sent to the floor, holding his head from where it had smacked the wall. What. The. Fuck.

A gun was brandished and pointed at him. "Where the fuck is Mello?"

"I wish I fucking knew! He hasn't been back in days―" Matt was cut off as the gun smacked him in the mouth. Matt had no idea why he was shocked that it hurt, but he held his mouth and stared. This wasn't real, was it? He was asleep on his desk or something…

"Knock Mello's fuck toy out and take him to the car while I see if that traitor is hiding here."

"Wait what? Excuse me, you cock sucker-" 

There was anger in both of their eyes, and Matt wished he had taken some sort of defense classes instead of sitting on his ass because there was no way a misplaced punch was getting him out of this. On second thought, maybe he should just learn to keep his damn mouth shut.

"We're not like you and that stupid fuck who thinks he can order us around after he's been fucking men." The words were spat at him, like they were physically disgusting. Like you? What the hell did that mean, and why would it matter to them? Matt took another good look at the men, and his heart skipped. Oh. _Oh god_. 

"Holy fuck, you are mafia." Matt stared open mouthed. This was not fucking happening.

"Oh look, Mello's got himself a smart one," the man sneered at him. The gun was raised as Matt scrambled backwards only for his back to hit the wall. Fuck. 

"Send Mello a good message for when he comes looking for his bitch," the bald one called over his shoulder as he walked into the living room, looking for Mello who was not there. 

Matt glanced back to the other man-

**BANG**   


**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own or make money from the anime Death Note


End file.
